"BVH let us down"

As well as coping with COPD my husband was diagnosed with cancer earlier this year. During all the tests he had at BVH we were very happy with the staff and their compassionate nature in dealing with us. Treatment did not go according to plan and chemo left him with some damage.

Since intensive radiation ended, my husband has had urology problems and has been put on a tablet and has had problems with BP/Pulse rate. He has been admitted to BVH 3 times. First time taken by ambulance from our doctors as BP/Pulse had dropped drastically low, went straight to the Acute Medical Unit, they were wonderful, dealt with him quickly and compassionately.

2nd time he was admitted - we were at the doctors as he had been feeling unwell and had a very high pulse rate, we were given a note and told to go straight to the Acute Medical Unit. Again they were very good in admitting him, finding him a room and dealing with him quickly and compassionately. My only complaint being that though I asked twice and my husband asked a third time for iron tablets as he was recently diagnosed anaemic (by their department on first visit) They didn't supply so I had to go and buy some, response from doctor on discharge when I expressed my concern was that it wouldn't hurt him to go without for 2 days.

The 3rd time admitted was most recently. My husband had chest pains when inhaling, he was in agony. I gave him his pain meds but the pain wouldn't go, I took his BP/Pulse, my understanding was that anything above a certain level can lead to life-threatening organ damage and physicians consider this a "hypertensive emergency". I took it three times and was still concerned. I immediately rang at around 1. 15pm the NHS on 111 and was told someone would ring back within the hour (must admit I was a bit shocked at an hour wait considering the circumstances). My husband was in terrible pain and he knew it was a chest infection and he would need antibiotics as he'd had it happen when he developed an infection when he first started chemo and was given oxygen and antibiotics. Around 2. 00pm they rang back said to come into Urgent Medical Unit for an appointment at 3. 15pm (again a bit shocked), arrived on the dot, waited till 3. 50pm to see doc who then checked his pulse and referred us to Acute Medical Unit at 4. 30pm. Put in a room quickly, had BP/Pulse checked, blood taken. I then sat there watching my husband suffer for 5 more hours before a doctor came to assess. To say I am disgusted is an understatement. If I had rang for an ambulance immediately would my husband have been assessed sooner by a doctor like he was the first time? Are you classed as an emergency only if you go by ambulance or go with a doctor's note? One more thing and maybe it's my age just when did doctors stop looking like doctors and why? All nurses and staff wear uniforms but doctors, well you only know they are doctors because they have a stethoscope‎ round their neck, all the female doctors were dressed like my colleagues on dressdown day, whatever happened to the "whitecoat" which used to define a doctor? Call me old fashioned but talking to a young slip of a girl dressed like my 21 year old son's friends just didn't instill me with a feeling of any "professionalism" whatsoever (nothing to do with age just dresscode).

Really feel that BVH let us down big time and will be putting in a complaint.